At 9:00, we’ll take a break from our celebration of the 80th birthday of Vladimir Ashkenazy to welcome accordionist and composer Robert Young McMahan to the studio. McMahan, who is on the faculty of The College of New Jersey, is one of the foremost authorities on his instrument. He is on the governing board of the American Accordionists’ Association, which will hold its annual festival at the Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village, from July 12 to July 16. Tune in to learn more, or look online at http://www.ameraccord.com. The AAA has commissioned prominent contemporary composers to write for the accordion for over 65 years. McMahan will share some of his insights and recordings.
Then, at 10:00, we’ll be back to Ashkenazy, with music by Sergei Rachmaninoff and André Previn. Between now and then, we’ll have recordings of Ashkenazy performing works by César Franck, Igor Stravinsky, Boris Blacher and Einojuhani Rautavaara. Plenty of unusual and inspiring music to come until 11 a.m. EDT, on WPRB 103.3 FM and wprb.com.